Sorghum Salad with Harissa Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas

by autumn on January 26, 2014

Sometimes I joke about the fact that I wouldn’t know what to eat if it weren’t for canned chickpeas, but it’s not entirely a laughing matter. At least once a week, dinner is saved by a can of chickpeas. Admittedly it’s a bit of a rut, but one I don’t mind too much. I really love chickpeas.

Another rut I’m not too worried about is my winter grain salad habit. It’s goes something like this: gluten-free grain + roasted veg + can of beans + preserved lemon = dinner and lunch the next day. Brussels sprouts are often involved, as are broccolli, sweet potatoes, and delicata squash. It’s usually a clean-out-the-crisper kind of party and sometimes the results don’t bear revisiting. However, this iteration–sweet, roasted carrots with chickpeas, harissa, and whole grain sorghum–quickly became a keeper.

A quick sidenote in support of sorghum: before I knew that eating gluten was making me crazy-sick, I ate a lot of wheat berries. Growing up, my mom bought wheat berries in bulk. Because we lived in a region where a lot of wheat was grown, they were a super-affordable, local food. Since needing to stop eating gluten, I’ve felt like there wasn’t a great gluten-free alternative to wheat berries, which–weirdly–I found myself missing. Whole grain sorghum is definitely the closest thing I’ve found. Although it looks a bit like Isreali couscous, it’s much firmer and chewier, similar to how I remember wheat berries.

I kept this salad basic, without a sauce or garnish because I wanted it to be something you could load up with whatever you have in your fridge, like it is for me. I’d usually eat this with a dollop of greek yogurt if I have it and a big squeeze of sriracha, but it would be really good with a simple tahini sauce or a few crumbles of goat cheese. It’s pretty versatile and is as good warm as it is cold.

Sorghum Salad with Harissa Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas

Recipe Type: grain salad

Author: Autumn Giles

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

8 ounces, about 5 medium, carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 19 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons dried harissa

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 heaping tablespoon (about 2 sections) of preserved lemon, minced

3 cups cooked sorghum

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Put the carrots and chickpeas in a large bowl. Add the harissa, smoked paprika, and olive oil. Stir until the carrots and chickpeas are completely coated with the spices.

Turn the mixture on to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once every 10 minutes.

Put the cooked sorghum in a large bowl with the preserved lemon. Add the roasted carrots and chickpeas and toss to combine.

Welcome.

Hi! I'm Autumn. I'm a freelance writer in the desert, who adores home cooking. Here you'll find greenmarket-focused gluten-free food: sweets, cocktails, and preserving projects. These are all of the things I love to make and do. I'm the author of Beyond Canning! Read more about me here.